Curtain



O 1939- G. SCHONFARBER .175337 'CURTAIN Filed June 22, 1938 2 Sheets Shet 1 -GORDON SCHONFARBER Oct. 31, 1939. I vea. SCHONFARBER 2. 78.43

CURTAIN Ei'led, June 22, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Oct. 31, 1939CURTAIN Gordon Schonfarber, Pawtucket, R. I., assignor to Lanpher &Schonfarber Inc., Providence, It. I., a corporation of Rhode IslandApplication June 22, 1938, Serial No. 215,181

2 Claims.

'My invention relates to improvements in curtains. Y

An object of my invention is to provide a curtain having a plurality ofcurtain rod receiv- 5' ingchannels or supports adiacentthe upper endthereof with the threads thereof so stitched and woven that the fabricmay be out along lines intermediate said channels to provide a curtainof the desired height for a specific window.

Much dimculty has existed in the sale of ourtains hitherto, and it hasbeen difficult to make prefabricated curtains which may be sold aspackaged goods due to the great irregularities in the heights of thedifferent windows in the different 15 houses for which the curtains areto be used.

As a result, curtain fabrics have to date usually been sold as fabricsin spacious upstairs departments of department stores. One object of myinvention, therefore, is to make the sale of our- 20 tains a packagedproposition on the main floors of department stores.

Employing present day types of curtain fabrics, the hanging of them inthe homes, or other places, has involved considerable diificulty, as thechannel for receiving the curtain rod has had to be manufactured in thehome by measuring the height. of the window and doubling over the fabricto the. desired height and hemming in the home to provide the channel.This has resulted in agreat irregularity even in the hanging ofindividual curtains for windows of the same height in the same room.

A further object of my invention therefore is to eliminate the necessityof hemming or refinishing the upper edge of the curtain in the homeafter it has been adjusted to the proper length. I am aware that othershave provided a plurality of channels or tubes specially woven in thefabric for this purpose, or alternately have provided a plurality ofaligned rows of curtain rod receiving holes so that the curtain may besold as a. packaged unit and the curtain rod inserted through a selectedrow of holes, or a selected channel, allowingall portions'of the curtainabove saidselected channel, or row of holes, to hang down at the top ofthe curtain and be somewhat unsightly.

A further object of my invention is to provide a, curtain having aplurality of preferably parallel channels,- any selected one of whichmay be employed to receive the curtain rod to provide a curtain of thedesired height and in which the portion of the curtain fabricupstandingsub stantially above said channel may be entirely cut away and removedso as to only provide a decorative heading across the top and not toprovide an unsightly mass of unused fabric at the top of the curtain.

So far as I am aware no one has provided prior to my invention a curtainstructure which will 5 permit of the cutting of the fabric intermediateparallel rows or channels to provide a curtain of the desired heightwithout unraveling the fabric adjacent the line on which it is cut, anda further object of my invention is to provide a structure intermediatesaid parallel rod receiving channels which will positively permit thecurtain to be selectively cut above the desired channel and which afterit is cut will positively not unravel along the top out edge thereof.

A further object of my invention is to provide a curtain which when outalong a selected line will present a pleasing and ornamental top edgepreferably with an upstanding heading incapable of unraveling. Ipreferably for this purpose provide a plurality of spaced rowsof alignedholes and employ stitching joining said layers of fabric together alongthe upper and lower edges of said rows of aligned holes, which stitchingpreferably also bunches and clamps the warp threads together between theholes to positively prevent unraveling of the fabric when the bunchedwarp threads between said holes are out. While this means may includeany type of hemstitching, including hand hemstitching or other stitchingsuitable for this purpose, it preferably comprises machine hemstitching,either accomplished on a sewing machine attachment or on a standard typeof hemstitching machine. While any suitable type of stitching means maybe employed for this purpose I like the machine type of hemstitching orequivalent type of stitching the best as it not only bunches the warpthreads between the holes together as in hand hemstitching but alsoseals the fabric against unraveling along-the upper and lower edges ofthe individual holes. The respective face and reverse lines ofhemstitching are positively twisted about each other and adjacentfilling threads to prevent unraveling of the fabric along each edge ofeach hole, which lines also positively draw, bunch and clamp the groupof warp threads of both layers together between each hole so that nounraveling can occur either where the bunched warp threads are cut oralong the edges of the holes.

These and such other objects of my invention as may hereinafter appearwill be best understood from a description of the accompanying drawingswhich illustrate an embodiment thereof.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a curtain constructed in accordance withmy invention capable of being out along one of a plurality of selectivelines to provide a curtain having a pleasing upper edge, having a rodreceiving channel adjacent thereto of a desired predetermined height tofit a selected window.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of an upper portion of a window having acurtain constructed in accordance with my invention with the upperportion thereof removed to provide a curtain of just the desired heightfor the window with an ornamental picot edge on the upper end thereof.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a portion of the curtain shown in Fig. 2illustrating the rows of rod receiving channels, the rows of hemstitchedholes and the intermediate rows of channel forming plain stitchingcharacteristic of my invention.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view illustrating a characteristic type ofmachine hemstitching for a single layer.

In the drawings, wherein like characters of reference indicate likeparts throughout, It) generally indicates a curtain fabric constructedin accordance with my invention.

My invention includes a curtain or drape [2 comprising curtain fabric ofa standard width and of greater length than the height of standard typesof windows I4 with the upper end l6 of said curtain fabric downfolded toprovide with the overlapped portion N3 of said fabric a double thicknessof said curtain fabric at the upper end of said curtain I2.

To provide a structure which may be readily out without unraveling, Iprovide a plurality of parallel lines of hemstitching 20 joining saidlayers of fabric together adjacent the upper end thereof therebyproviding a plurality of parallel rows of curtain rod receiving channels22 adjacent the upper end of said curtain whereby said curtain may beout along a selected line of hemstitching 20 to provide a curtain of apredetermined height suitable for the height of the window on which itis to be hung, with a curtain rod receiving channel 22 immediately belowthe upper end 24 thereof and having a heading terminating in an upperpicot edge 26 substantially incapable of unraveling,

Any suitable type of hemstitching may be employed. In hand hemstitchingtoweling, for instance, the housewife pulls out the filling threadsadjacent the border. This leaves a line of spaced warp threads adjacentthe border. She then with a single thread hemstitches one edge of thefabric along said portion by drawing a stitch through the fabric on oneside of the set of warp threads she wishes to bunch, loops the stitcharound the adjacent ends of the warp threads she wishes to bunch anddraws it again through the fabric on the opposite side of the bunchemploying a single thread across the fabric, first along one edge of thethus formed row of holes 30 and then the other, providing the bunches 29of warp threads between said holes. This type of hand hemstitching maybe employed to join two layers together provided the desired line ofsaid filling threads are pulled out of each layer and the thread loopsare made around the desired number of warp threads in both layers toform the bunches. While this type of hand hemstitching bunches the warpthreads and tends to prevent them from unraveling, it does not sosuccessfully provide a barrier for the unraveling of the filling threadsadjacent the bunches 29 and holes 30 as is possible with machinehemstitching. In machine hemstitching the row 28 of aligned holes 30 isformed through both layers prior to the stitching, both the warp threads32 and filling threads 34 in each layer being displaced laterally andlongitudinally to form said holes and to lie more closely together alongthe upper and lower edges of said holes and forming the bunches 29 ofwarp threads 32 in each layer between said holes. Parallel lines ofhemstitching join said doubled layers I6 and I8 of curtain fabrictogether along respective upper and lower edges 40 and 42 of saidaligned holes.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detailed view illustrating the characteristic typeof machine hemstitching for a single layer. Each line of machinehemstitching comprises two layers of threads 44 and 46 extending inzigzag intertwining relationship above and below the superimposed layers"5 and I8 of fabric respectively twisted around each other and aroundone or more adjacent filling threads of each layer along the respectiveupper and lower edges of each hole of said rows of aligned holes andextending respectively above and below the superimposed warp threads ofboth layers between adjacent holes to draw, bunch and clamp said warpthreads of both layers together between said holes to prevent unravelingof the fabric when the row of bunched warp threads between the row ofholes is out. While in most instances the threads 44 and 46 are twistedaround the adjacent filling threads of both layers, in some instancesthey may in practice be twisted around the adjacent filling threads ofone layer only at intervals.

It is thus obvious that with machine hemstitching that both bunchedlayers 29 of warp threads between each respective hole in a row are notonly looped but are positively drawn, bunched and clamped together inspaced lines substantially coinciding with the upper and lower edges ofthe holes and as distinguished from hand hemstitching, in addition, eachlayer of threads 44 and 46 is positively twisted around adjacent fillingthreads 34 of both layers so as to supplementally positively preventunraveling.

While the above description is characteristic of what may beaccomplished by machine hemstitching, any type of stitching, whethercalled hemstitching or not, which will answer the language of theclaims, or any means comprising threads joining said layers of fabric I6and I8 together along the respective upper and lower edges 40 and 42 ofsaid rows of aligned holes stitched to prevent unraveling of the fabricand separation of the layers of fabric when the threads between theholes are cut, may be employed.

It is obvious therefore that the curtains may be sold as packaged goodsand the purchaser may measure the height of the window and cut thecurtain along the respective line of hemstitching 20 or bunches 29nearest the desired height of curtain. It is apparent that when thecurtain is out along the line of hemstitching 20 that the cut bunches 29of warp threads will project upwards to form a picot edge 52, orornamental ruflie, which will positively not unravel along said edge.

If desired to make a greater plurality of channels 22 for the receptionof the curtain rod, lines of plain stitching may be interposed at spaceddistances above and below said parallel lines of hemstitching holes orother stitching. In the embodiment shown two parallel lines 56 ofstitching may be interposed joining said layers l6 and l8 togetherbetween each respective line 20 of hemstitching holes 30 thus formingthree selective tubes or channels 22 between each respective line ofstitching 20. It is apparent, however, that these lines of plainstitching while they additionally strengthen the curtain may be limitedto one between each row of holes or hemstitching.

It is apparent, therefore, that I provide a novel type of curtain ordrape which may be sold in packaged form by the vendor and which may beselectively cut to fit a window of any predetermined length by the user,and which may be readily hung by merely inserting a curtain rod througha selected channel 22 to automatically provide a curtain of the desiredheight for the window, and it is furtherapparent that I have provided astructure which while it may be cut will not unravel along the cut edgethereof and will provide a heading having a decorative or finished edge.

It is understood that my invention is not limited to the specificembodiment shown and that various deviations may be made therefromwithout departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A curtain or drape, comprising curtain fabric having warp and fillingthreads, having the upper end thereof downfolded to provide a doublethickness of 'said curtain fabric at said upper end, a plurality ofparallel rows of aligned holes formed in said doubled layers, meanscomprising threads joining said layers of fabric together along therespective upper and lower edges of said rows of aligned holes stitchedto prevent unraveling of the fabric when the warp threads between saidholesare cut, and at least one line of plain stitching interposedbetween each of said parallel rows of holes parallel thereto to providea curtain support spaced such a distance below each row of holes thatwhen said curtain is cut along a selected row of holes, a curtain ofpredetermined height is provided with a curtain support spaced asufiicient amount from the upper end thereof to provide said curtain,when hung on a window casing on a curtain rod inserted underneath thesupport closest to the top thereof, with an upper end comprising aheading terminating in an upper ornamental picot edge substantiallyincapable of unraveling.

2. A curtain or drape, comprising curtain fabric having warp and fillingthreads, having the upper end thereof downfolded to provide a doublethickness of said curtain fabric at said upper end, a plurality ofparallel rows of aligned holes formed in said doubled layers, lines ofthreads extending above and below the layers of fabric respectivelytwisted around each other and substantially all of the adjacent fillingthreads of said layers along the respective upper and lower edges ofeach hole of said rows of aligned holes, and extending respectivelyabove and below the warp threads of both layers between adjacent holesto draw, bunch and clamp said warp threads of both layers together toprevent unraveling of the fabric when the row of bunched warp threadsbetween a row of said holes is cut, and at least one line of plainstitching interposed between each of said parallel rows of holesparallel thereto to provide a curtain support spaced such a distancebelow each row of holes that when said curtain is out along a selectedrow of holes, a curtain of a predetermined height is provided with acurtain support spaced a suflicient amount from the upper end thereof toprovide said curtain, when hung on a window casing on a curtain rodinserted underneath the support closest to the top thereof, with anupper end comprising a heading terminating in an upper ornamental picotedge substantially incapable of unraveling.

GORDON SCHONFARBER.

